23-year-old man charged with second degree sexual assault

MILWAUKEE — 23-year-old Anthony Kodrich has been charged with second-degree sexual assault for a sexual assault that occurred Friday, July 27th near 400 E. Lincoln Avenue. Now, police are looking into whether Kodrich may be connected with other sexual assaults reported in Bayview and South Milwaukee — seven total cases.

The female victim told police she boarded the “green line bus” at Water Street and Wisconsin Avenue just after 5:00 p.m. on July 27th — headed for work. The woman told police a white man, wearing a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt pulled up over his head boarded the bus, before she exited the bus, walking to a bus shelter near 400 E. Lincoln.

The woman told police the man asked her if she was going home, and whether he could go with her. The man then reportedly grabbed the woman’s body on the side of her breast and squeezed, pulling on her clothing.

The woman told police the man said “let’s get this sweater vest off of you.”

The woman says the man attempted to pull her clothing down or off before grabbing and squeezing her buttocks.

The woman told police she said “no,” and made a fist with her right hand, pushing it against the man — pushing him back and away from her. The woman told police she was “in shock, and feared for her safety.”

The woman saw a bus approaching and decided to “make a run for it.” The woman ran across the street and boarded the bus.

The woman told police she didn’t initially report the incident because she was in shock and not sure what to do. She says she heard about other incidents in South Milwaukee and Bayview and decided to report the incident to police.

Using surveillance video, police located a suspect matching the description of the man the woman described to police, and plain-clothes officers boarded a bus and took Kodrich into custody.

Police searched Kodrich’s home and removed “several items of potential evidentiary value,” according to the criminal complaint in the case.

When interviewed by police, Kodrich admitted being at the scene with the victim, but denied sexually assaulting her. Kodrich also reportedly indicated knowledge of and familiarity with each location associated with other previously reported sexual assaults but denied sexually assaulting anyone.

Police say additional charges against Kodrich may be forthcoming, and their investigation in ongoing.

Police also said during a media briefing Wednesday, while going through bus surveillance video, there was an incident in which a victim was sexually assaulted on a bus. That person has not come forward to police yet.